"Secrets to Cooking TexMex"

"THE INGREDIENT THAT MAKES
A GOOD RECIPE GREAT"

The History of RO*TEL

RO*TEL has been a tradition in the southwest since
the early 1940's. That's when CarlRoettele opened a small family canning plant
in Elsa, Texas. Starting with flavorful tomatoes,he added chopped green chili peppers and a special
blend of spices to create a sensational taste.

Figuring no one would be able to spell or pronounce
Roettele, he used the name RO*TEL onhis products. Although they canned 25,000
cases of vegetables a year, Roettele and his wife weremost proud of their tomatoes and green chilies.
Their pride was justified for it wasn't long beforeRO*TEL Tomatoes and Green Chilies were gracing
the tables of public figures and politiciansthroughout Texas.

Originally, RO*TEL Tomatoes and Green Chilies
were only shipped as far away as San Antonio,Houston and Dallas. By 1956, they had made
their way to Oklahoma and Arkansas. Then, in1963, the wife of a popular politician in Washington
bragged to a national magazine about herrecipe for homemade chili. She revealed
to them the secret ingredient that made her chili betterthan anyone else's-RO*TEL Tomatoes and Green
Chilies. Since then, RO*TEL, with its zestyflavor, has been the secret ingredient that's
made ordinary recipes come alive.

In 1992, American Home Food Products added RO*TEL
Tomatoes and Green Chilies to itsfamily of fine foods.

In November of 1996, the business was acquired
by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Incorporatedand C. Dean Metropoulos & Company, and is
now part of International Home Foods, Inc.

Because the original RO*TEL Whole and Diced varieties
proved to be so popular, extra hot andmilder were added to the product line along with
Mexican and Italian.

International Home Foods was acquired by ConAgra Foods,
Inc. in 2002, however, none of that
changed Ro*Tel, which is still made by many of the same people with the same
ingredients. They
also still have an affiliation with legendary chuck wagon chef Crazy Sam
Higgins.

Whatever variety, RO*TEL is the perfect ingredient
to include when you want to add a zestytomato flavor to any meal.